THE BARCENAL PREVIEW

This is one game that will shatter television viewership records, I guarantee you! No other game this season will get a bigger TRP (that's what I think it is!) than a Barcelona v/s Arsenal match. Its a clash where two of the most flamboyant teams in their respective leagues will meet to decide who will challenge for the UEFA Champions League Trophy by staking a claim in the last eight. This will be a game wherein the whole of Europe will be watching; Asia will wake up for arguably one of the biggest games in the UCL and the whole of Africa will call in sick to watch this game in the day. I know I'm building this game up to be even greater than a World Cup Final or the eventual UEFA Final, but you have to agree with me that, this is one of thee games of the season so far.

For the neutrals, it'll be great viewing and to the teams respective fans, a further shot at glory. 

In the first leg, I wanted Arsenal to sit, defend and counter on the break. But I'm glad Wenger had other ideas and stuck to his guns... so to speak. He rallied his team up for the second half and turned that game on its head when all seemed over in the 30th minute after Villa got that away goal. Barcelona have been the team to beat in recent seasons and that's no exception this year. A glistening campaign in the La Liga and they have been outstanding in Europe. So the minute they scored, you'd be forgiven for bowing down your head and conceding defeat. Over both legs. But Van Persie, who has been Arsenal's inspiration this season not only scoring a lot of goals, but great ones gets the equalizer against Barca, that was top notch. Even if Valdes had covered his near post, he would've been beaten for sheer pace and precision on RVP's part. Its sad he's going to miss the second leg and he will be sorely missed thats for sure. Alex Song played a horrible game. He was being turned at every corner and was lucky to have stayed on the pitch that night until he was subbed. He, and the right-flank-sparky kid Walcott are out and what can I say but Arsenal have to and will get on with it; just like they have in the league so many times this season but I hope for them, that where it counts, they actually draw a game! 

Wenger needs to fill that midfield and back four with as much experience as he can, given how young his squad 'still' is and if I were him, that'd be quite a task. What I wanted of Arsenal in the first leg, now has to be done in the second. They need to do an Anti-Arsenal by sitting and containing. Barcelona will stretch that back four, back and wide! They'll keep on slipping in the through balls and for that reason, Arsenal have to play defensively or at best, man mark two key players. It's possible. Messi is impossible! ( that should be Adidas' tag line ). But they have to work and focus on other areas in Barca's midfield and attack. Im thinking Iniesta and Villa will be those key players. Arsenal have to suck it up and do the unthinkable. Play like a mid-table club. Defend and attack on the counter. As far as I see, or would want to see, without their star players, the Gunners will have to play their unnatural game! They'll have to ride out the storm and I actually believe that they can. I want them to. Just for the football of it!

It'll be interesting to see what team he starts off with. I'd like to see Bendtner start, believe it or not! I wont start by criticizing him and his attitude but he seems to be in better form than Chamakh at the moment. I think he will be a key player for Arsenal that Barcelona will eventually be least concerned with especially if the latter are still chasing for a home goal.

Szczesny in goal. Clichy has to be left back no doubt, if he was kept to man that right channel keeping that little magician in mind. Djourou has a nice composure about him and that could help calm the nerves of the back four. I'd like to see Koscielny centre that defense with him and Sagna at right back.

Eboue in right midfield along with fabregas and Wilshere in the centre with Diaby and Arshavin on the left. Eboue could use his defensive experience and help out the defense while Arshavin will run or rather, should run like a mad dog for 90 minutes up and down, providing cover on the flank and setting up crosses. Bendtner to complete the team. Its not your dream team, but I like this set up. Its a 4-5-1 for me. 

Barcelona will bring it!!! They'll be all over Arsenal. Thing is, with Barcelona, even if you play with a high defensive line, they'll slice a pass through. If you play deeper in your own half, you're just inviting more pressure upon yourself. So, Barca will be ready for anything. They will play possession for the whole first half and if they don't get a goal, they'll start committing men forward and will play with a high back line, thus exposing their defense. This is where I expect Arshavin and Eboue to use their pace in getting forward. All Arsenal fans will have to do is just pray beyond that point, for Bendtner to get a decent touch on the ball, and hope for the best. The best being 'kicking that ball on target'! 

Now for the final piece of the jigsaw... Arsenal will need some major luck benefitting form refereeing decisions be it an offside or a penalty - in terms of conceding more than being awarded. Have that, and Arsenal are through.

And so am I. 

Enjoy the game! Hope it lives up to my expectation at the very least!

After a Chelsea win...

Im not going to rant about how and why we lost against Chelsea last night. Its not worth it. It's Chelsea. And some might argue, the referee. I'm within that 'some' category. Instead, I'm going to look at the positives of this game... as many as I can find.
But just to fill you in on the referee's part in this game... He should have given David Luiz two yellow cards ( resulting in a red card, ultimately ), but he didn't. He did give Chelsea a penalty, a soft penalty. So soft, you could put your hand through a cement wall so effortlessly, and watch the rest of the it crumble. That's what happened to us. We crumbled. After that penalty, it was all Chelsea. They owned the last 15 minutes of the game and for that, I'll give them the victory.
Regarding our performance,
Manchester United, I thought played their best football yet, this entire season including the 7-1 victory over Blackburn Rovers at home late November. It's because our overall passing had improved tremendously since the Wigan Athletic game, two days before we faced Chelsea. I thought it was our best squad in a long time and we've almost found that squad that I'd like to see playing week in week out. Great rhythm to our passing. So we dont have a lot going for us in the midfield but at least we made full use of our left wing ( only! ) in the last two away games at the DW stadium and Stamford Bridge. Fergusson stuck with the same squad he used for the first game that saw us win four to nothing and I thought he was being daring and adventurous against someone like Chelsea. But given the latter's form, I have to say well done Fergi. Went for the win, but we lost. But thats an encouraging sign wherein we see for the first time in a long time where Ferguson actually started with a 4-4-2 formation instead of the traditionally defensive 4-5-1. Good start.
If it was anyone who gave away that penalty, I'm happy it was Chris Smalling. We know he's got the attributes to be a great defender - Height, Build, Stamina, Ability to get on top and look for a pass and his awareness is improving well. So he'll only learn from this and at the rate he's going, I hope he matures into a great central defender within the next three to four years.
Rooney scored a wonderful goal but he also missed a couple of sitters and was taken out of the game in the second half. But the way I see him playing now, he gets into good positions but he just cannot put them away. He's lost form, that is quite evident. But I can see that hunger in his eyes and he's waiting to explode. Yes the season's winding down and he may not have time on his side, but better late than never no?
Vidic is a class defender. He bought himself that red card... Fabio Da Silva has far lesser experience than his brother Rafael... who plays right back just so you know! But the positive here is that at least Ferguson played him! I'd like to see these boys playing and its a sign that he hasn't ignored Fabio and his giving him his chance. I hope he gets a few more of them.
Carrick has a lot to prove if he wants to stay at this club. Personally, I like him. He's a great defensive midfielder and can pick out an excellent pass. He's regaining that form he showed in his first two seasons at United. He had a decent game against Chelsea giving O'shea cover in the six yard box when Cole would shoot a cross form the left by-line.
VDS is priceless. His experience is something we will never be able to even substitute were we to buy another player in the transfer window this June. He had a great game I thought. Got behind the ball every time. Cleared once off the line with the help of Vidic but was beaten by an excellent goal from Luiz and a thunderbolt of a penalty from Lampard who was also out of the game for vast spells.

I think we played well last night. Yes, a few decisions let us down but if we received those similar benefiting decisions at OT, we would've taken it. We should've taken our chances when we had them; Rooney and Nani in particular. As of now, we're working with very limited confidence, but tons of experience and a bit of youth. Its close to being the best combination for me at this stage of the season. We've been riding our luck for a long time now, I hope it doesn't end with the game we play against Liverpool. We win that, We're back in business.